More Details on Keller's IGA

A
Clifton community group is contacting local and state officials to get help with the effort to reopen Keller's IGA grocery
store in the Gaslight District.

The
store, located on Ludlow Avenue in the heart of the neighborhood's
business district, abruptly closed Jan. 6, shocking many residents
and other longtime customers.

The
Clifton Town Meeting (CTM), which serves as the neighborhood's
community council, is working with store owners John Vierling
and Charlie Dugger to help resolve the tax issues that led to the
closure. Keller’s was hit hard by the recession and suffered a
decline in sales due to increased competition from major retail
chains, said Pete Schneider, a CTM trustee. Also,
the aging building had ongoing maintenance problems.

During the
economic downturn, the owners used their money to pay
vendors in order to keep their shelves stocked and revenue flowing,
rather than keeping current with their state and county taxes.

At
the time of the store’s closing, Keller's had been working with the
Ohio Attorney General’s Office on a repayment plan for part of its
debt to the state when the Ohio Tax Commissioner Richard Levin, in a
separate action, sent a notice demanding full payment of the
remaining debt, an amount the owners didn't have on hand.

Levin
has since been replaced by Joseph
W. Testa.

“They
are committed to finding a solution to their current financial
problems and are working tirelessly to reopen as soon as possible,”
Schneider said. “Earlier plans to reopen as soon as Jan. 7 fell
through when a financing package that had been tentatively arranged
did not materialize. The owners are working on alternative financing
plans.”

Despite
the challenges facing independent supermarkets, Keller’s believes
it can revise its cost structure to return to profitability if and
when the state allows it to reopen.

“There
will surely be a role for residents who want to help return Keller’s
to financial health, first and foremost by giving the store our
business when it reopens, and we will pass along information on other
ways to help as it becomes available,” Schneider added.